Intrauterine contraceptive device

ABSTRACT

The present contraceptive intra-uterine device includes a Vshaped member and a cross member both of which are connected to a ring member so that the ring member is located inside a configuration substantially resembling a triangle formed by the V-shaped member and by the cross member. Said triangle having such a size and shape relative to the uterus size that a definite clearance is provided between the lateral sides of the triangle and the respective opposite wall of the uterus, said clearance extending all around the triangle.

United States Patent [1 1 Knoch Aug. 7, 1973 INTRAUTERINE CONTRACEPTIVEDEVICE [76] Inventor: Max Knoch, Djalan Rangga Malela 15, Bandung,Indonesia [22] Filed: Oct. 13, 1970 [21] App]. No.: 80,313

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 14, 1969 Netherlands 6915483[52] US. Cl. 128/130 [51] Int. Cl. A6lt 5/46 [58] Field of Search128/130, 127

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,077,879 2/1963 Knoch128/130 1/1968 Robinson 128/130 11/1969 Burnhill 128/130 PrimaryExaminerWilliam E. Kamm Attorney-W. G. Fasse 571 ABSTRACT The presentcontraceptive intra-uterine device includes a V-shaped member and across member both of which are connected to a ring member so that thering member is located inside a configuration substantially resembling atriangle formed by the V'shaped member and by the cross member. Saidtriangle having such a size and shape relative to the uterus size that adefinite clearance is provided between the lateral sides of the triangleand the respective opposite wall of the uterus, said clearance extendingall around the triangle.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED w 1 ms Fig-5 ig.4 Fig.5

Inventor:

MAX H. KNOCH M A INTRAUTERINE CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION l. Field of the Invention Articles for Introduction into theuterus.

2. Description of the Prior Art Articles for introduction into theuterus, comprising a loop configuration of elastic thread of which theloops lie practically fully in the same plane, are already known fromthe US. Pat. No. 3,077,897 corresponding to Netherlands Pat. No. 105,769of the present applicant. According to said prior art it was suggestedto make the article such that it consists of three rings, which do not,or anyway for the greater part do not, overlap one another and areinterconnected by elastic thread in such a manner that the centre of oneof the rings lies in the middle perpendicular of the connecting line ofthe centres of the two other rings. In this way a loop configuration isobtained of which the centres of the loops form approximately anequilateral triangle. The results meanwhile obtained with this articlehave shown that a relatively large number of cases complications of verydiverging kinds can arise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention aims at substantially avoidingsaid complications without decreasing the birth control action of thearticle.

According to the invention this is obtained in that the dimensions ofthe article are adapted to the individual uterus size, such that thearticle lies free from the opposie uterus walls along the top side andthe two lateral sides. The invention depends on the insight thatcomplications encountered with the known intra-uterine article werecaused to a high extent by the imperfect fitting, whereby the articlelocally pressed against the uterus walls and caused undesired reactions.By the dimensioning according to the invention these reactions can beavoided.

Preferably the dimensions of the article are chosen in such a mannerthat along the top side and the two lateral sides an average clearanceof about 1-2 mm is present. Such a clearance can be used without anydifficulties as far as the contraceptive effectiveness of the article isconcerned.

The loop configuration used hitherto has a construction which makes itless appropriate for a configuration which is adapted to the internalshape of the uterus in its main plane, namely the plane in which lie thetube corners and the ostium uteri internum. As a further development ofthe above described invention therefore now another shape is suggestedfor the loop configuration, which further according to the invention hasa mainly triangular form with parts extending in the direction of thethree sides. This form is particularly suitable for adaptation to thegeneral shape of the internal space of the uterus and at the same timethis form enables to take into account the many differences in di'mensions of the internal uterus space occurring in practice.

For preventing hooking in the uterus space of the ends of the elasticthreads, of which the loop configuration of the article is composed andfor enabling the introduction and removal without danger, advantageouslythe parts extending along the triangle sides are bent back to loop atthe corners where these sides meet.

In practice further the article is preferably composed of a centralring, along the upper side of which extends a mainly straight transversethread to both sides, while along the two lateral sides there lies amainly V-shaped bent thread of which the free end lie closely under thefree ends of the transverse thread. Such an article can also easily becompressed in lateral direction, while the transverse thread is bentround upwardly, so that the whole can be brought into a very narrow formfor the introduction through the cervix, while by the elasticity of thethread material the article can broaden again after the introductioninto the uterus space and can fill it out in an adequate manner withoutcausing complications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 shows a top elevation of anintra-uterine article according to the invention, around which the innerwalls of the uterus space and the cervix with the ostium uteri externumare shown diagramatically in dotted lines,

FIG. 2 shows a probe for determining the transverse width according tothe invention the condition for introduction, i

FIG. 3 shows the probe. according to FIG. 2 in the condition for use, v

FIG. 4 shows an introducing device according to the invention,

FIG. 5 shows an additional device which can be sli over the rod-shapedpart of the device according to FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 shows an introducing device with additional device belonging toit and slid on and an intra-uterine article hooked to it, and

FIG. 7 shows the upper portion of the introducing device according toFIG. 6, but with the additional device slid on, in which theintra-uterine article lies enclosed for the greater part.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The intra-uterinearticle according to the invention and shown in FIG. 1 comprises a ring1 of elastic thread, more particularly silkworm thread, which cancomprise two or more windings and of which the ends meet at the top sideand are secured together by a binding 2 with gold thread. The binding atthe same time serves for connecting the centre of a transverse thread 3,consisting of a same number of separate threads as the ring, and endingat both extreme ends in a loop 4 and 5 respectively, bent back upwardly,the thread ends being again bound at 6 and 7 respectively by bindings ofgold thread with the transverse thread. Along the two lateral portionsof the central ring 1 the legs 8 and 9 of a V-shaped bent multiplethread 10 are connected with the ring with the aid of bindings 11 and 12of gold thread. The ends 13 and 14 of the two V-legs are finished withinterned loops l5 and 16 which are secured with gold thread bindings 17and 18. The article thus formedis in its shape and dimensions mainlytriangular and adapted to the internal size of the uterus space of theperson for whom it is destinated and which is indicated diagramaticallyin the drawing by dotted lines.

In addition the dimension of the article are made such' that it liesfree all around with a clearance of about l-2 mm from the fundus uteri20 and the side walls 21 and 22 with the fully closed loops at the endsof the threads lying near the two tube corners 23 and 24 and the openloop-shaped bent back portion near the ostium uteri internum 25 to whichjoins the cervix uteri 26, ending at the outer end in the ostium uteriexternum 27.

For adapting the article to be introduced to the individual uterus size,it is necessary to determine the shape and dimensions of the interior ofthe uterus. This occurs by first measuring the distance A from thefundus uteri to the ostium uteri externum' 2 7 with the aid in acondition in which it is turned a quarter of a revolution. The distanceB is indicated directly and diagrammatically at the outside in FIG. 1,but it is measured through theinterior of the uterus. Furthermore, alsothe distance C is measured, that is to say the distance from the ostiumuteri externum 27 to the place where the interior of the uterus has adefinite width D of e.g., 2 cm. This measuring occurs by means of atool, shown in the FIGS. 2 and 3 and which could be defined as widthprobe and which has been developed in behalf of the invention. Thisprobe consists mainly of two straight rods 30 and 31 lying beside oneanother and provided with a scale 32 and33 respectively and having eachan inclined front end 34 and 35 respectively and being rotatable roundtheir axes while lying beside one another. For the introduction the twoinclined end portions 34 and 35 are turned-against one another, as shownin FIG. 2, but after the introduction of the front end of the tool intothe interior of the uterus, the two rods 30 and 31 can be turned aquarter of a revolution with the aid of the actuating members 36 and 37,whereby the inclined end portions 34 and 35 get into a position in whichthey lie diametrically opposite one another, as shown in FIG. 3, andenclose between the outer ends the definite chosen width D, whichtherefore amounts to 2 cm in the chosen example. The tool or the widthprobe is then withdrawn until the two inclined end portions 34 and35abut against the side walls 21 and 22 of the interior of the uterus,after which the definite width D is read at the ostium uteri externum 27on the rods. The probe can then be removed again after returning therods to their introduction posi tion with the aid of the actuatingmembers 36 and 37.

With the aid of the data obtained by the above described measurementsthe form and the dimensions in the main plane of the interior of theuterus, that is to say in the plane through the tube corners 23 and 24and the ostium uteri internum 25, can be determined with an accuracy ofabout a quarter of a centimeter, which suffices in view of the clearanceof the article maintained in the interior of the uterus.

Experiments have shown that the interior of the uterus can show a greatnumber of variations in form and dimensions for several persons. Inorder, however, that nevertheless the persons can be helped in a singleoperation, a table was drafted of the most occurring internal sizes ofthe uterus which follows further below and in which, beside the mainmeasures'A, B, C and D further a number for particular measures a, b, c,d and e of the fitting intra-uterine articles are indicated. The

main measures A, B, C and D were already illucidated above, as well asthe way in which they are determined. The particular measures of theparts of the article are:

a is the distance between the gold bindings of the transverse thread, bis the outer diameter of the central thread ring, 0 is the distancebetween the gold thread bindings with which the V-shaped bent backthread is connected to the central ring, d is the distance from the goldthread bindings under 0 to the gold thread binding of the end loops ofthe V-shaped thread, and e is the distance from the bottom portion ofthe central ring to the top of the back bent of the V-shaped thread.

By maintaining the measures indicated in the table articles of the rightdimensions are obtained for the uterus sizes belonging to them, whicharticle will not cause complications after introduction.

By keeping a stock of articles of the sizes according to the table inmost cases the persons can be helped in a single operation, without itbeing necessary that they have to wait until the intra-uterine articlefitting to them is made, or that they would have to come back especiallyfor the introduction thereof.

TABLE Uterus measures in cm article measures in mm yp A B C D a b c d eU1 5 5 5% 2 15 10 5% 7 6 U2 5 4 5 2 20 14 10% 9 6 U3 5% 5 6 2 I9' 13 98% 6 U4 5% 4% 6 2 21 15 ll 9 8 U5 6 5 6% 2 25 15 ll 11 8 U6 6 4% 6% 2 2417 13 ll 7 U7 6% 5% 7 2 22% l5 10 10V: 8 U8 6% S 7 2 24 17x12 12 8 U9 75% 7% 2 26 17 ll 13 8 U10 7 S 7 2 26 20 16 14 8 Ul'l 7% 6 8 2 28 I716 l1l3 9 U12 7%51e 8 2 28 20 14% 14 9 U13 8 6 8% 2 32 20 14 I5 9 U14 8 5 8%2 32 22 l8 l4 9 U15 8% 5% '9 '2 i 35 21 l6 l6 9 U16 9 6% 9% 2 36 22 1518 9 U17 9% 6% 10 2 37 22% 1714 17 1O U18 l0 7 10% 2 40 24 23 19 10 Whenfor a definite person the size of the uterus has been determined and afitting intra-uterine article has been chosen, it can be introduced withthe aid of an introducing device as shown in the FIGS. 4-7. In thesefigures FIG. 4 shows the proper introduction device, comprising a rod 41provided with a grip 40, which rod is provided at the extreme end with aslot 52 in which the underloop 10 of an article can be inserted and canbe temporarily secured with the aid of a slide 43 with an actuating knob44. Before the article is connected with the introducing device in thismanner, however, first a tubular additional device 50, 51 is slid overthis introducing device, which additional device is shown in FIG. 5.FIG. 6 shows the two devices slid on one another, the additional devicehaving such a length that in fully slid on condition the slot 42 forhooking the article to be introduced lies outside the additional device.By sliding up of the additional device the tubular end thereof slidesover the article which is thereby compressed laterally, while the twoarms of the transverse thread 3 are bent up and finally lie in the tubeend 50 with the loops 4 and 5 lying at the inside. In this situation,which is mainly shown in FIG. 7, the combined de vice can be broughtinto the interior of the uterus until it abuts against the fundus uteri20. Then the tubular additional device 50, 51 is withdrawn again. it isalso possible, after releasing the transverse thread 3, which can bedetermined by reading the scale on the additional device 50 at theostium uteri externum 27, to push up the article accordingly andthereafter to release it fully from the additional device, whereafterfinally the article is also released from the introducing device byoperating the fixing slide 43, 44 on it and the introducing device canbe withdrawn, together with the additional device. The article then liesfree all around the uterus slime and it can hardly cause anycomplications anymore.

When the article is to be removed from the uterus, this can occur withthe aid of a hooking probe known in itself, having one or more crowns ofhooks which can engage behind a loop portion of the article afterintroduction into the interior of the uterus and it can take along thearticle when it is pulled out.

The invention is above described with reference to a preferredembodiment, but variations are possible. Thus the threads may, ifdesired, consist of an adequate synthetic material or of metal. Furtherfor the definite total transverse distance an other value may be chosen,provided that it is chosen smaller than the smallest occurring length ofthe fundus uteri. The loop configuration may be chosen in an other form.

What is claimed is:

l. A contraceptive article for introduction into the uterus comprising aV-shaped member, a central ring member, and a cross member, as well asfirst means for interconnecting said ring member and said V-shapedmember at two points along the ring member so that the ring member islocated in the V-shaped member, and second means for connecting saidcross member to said ring member so that the cross member extendssubstantially across the legs of the V-shaped member, said cross memberand said V-shaped member forming substantially a triangle enclosing saidring member, said triangle being adapted to avoid contact with theuterus along all three sides of the triangle.

2. The contraceptive article according to claim 1, wherein said ringmember has an outer diameter (b) ranging from about 10 to 24 mm, saidcross member having a length (a) ranging from about l5 to 40 mm, saidtwo points having a spacing (c) from each other ranging from about 5.5to 23 mm, wherein said ring is spaced from the bottom of the V-shapedmember by a distance (e) ranging from about 6 to 10 mm.

3. The contraceptive article according to claim 1, wherein said V-shapedmember has legs with free ends extending from said connection pointsbetween said ring member and said V-shaped member toward said crossmember, said free ends having a length (d) ranging from about 7 mm to 19mm.

4. The contraceptive article according to claim 1, wherein said freeends of the legs of the V-shaped member each include a coiled upelement.

5. The contraceptive article according to claim 4, further comprisingmeans for securing said coiled up element to the respective free end.

6. The contraceptive article according to claim 1, wherein said crossmember has a wide open V-shape having a blunt tip with free ends,each ofsaid free ends of the cross member including a coiled up element, saidring member and said cross member being connected to each other at saidblunt tip.

7. The contraceptive article according to claim 6, further comprisingmeans for securing said coiled up element to the respective free end ofthe cross member.

8. The contraceptive article according to claim 1, wherein said ringmember, said V-shaped member, and

said cross member are made of elastic thread material.

1. A contraceptive article for introduction into the uterus comprising aV-shaped member, a central ring member, and a cross member, as well asfirst means for interconnecting said ring member and said V-shapedmember at two points along the ring member so that the ring member islocated in the V-shaped member, and second means for connecting saidcross member to said ring member so that the cross member extendssubstantially across the legs of the V-shaped member, said cross memberand said V-shaped member forming substantially a triangle enclosing saidring member, said triangle being adapted to avoid contact with theuterus along all three sides of the triangle.
 2. The contraceptivearticle according to claim 1, wherein said ring member has an outerdiameter (b) ranging from about 10 to 24 mm, said cross member having alength (a) ranging from about 15 to 40 mm, said two points having aspacing (c) from each other ranging from about 5.5 to 23 mm, whereinsaid ring is spaced from the bottom of the V-shaped member by a distance(e) ranging from about 6 to 10 mm.
 3. The contraceptive articleaccording to claim 1, wherein said V-shaped member has legs with freeends extending from said connection points between said ring member andsaid V-shaped member toward said cross member, said free ends having alength (d) ranging from about 7 mm to 19 mm.
 4. The contraceptivearticle according to claim 1, wherein said free ends of the legs of theV-shaped member each include a coiled up element.
 5. The contraceptivearticle according to claim 4, further comprising means for securing saidcoiled up element to the respective free end.
 6. The contraceptivearticle according to claim 1, wherein said cross member has a wide openV-shape having a blunt tip with free ends, each of said free ends of thecross member including a coiled up element, said ring member and saidcross member being connected to each other at said blunt tip.
 7. Thecontraceptive article according to claim 6, further comprising means forsecuring said coiled up element to the respective free end of the crossmember.
 8. The contraceptive article according to claim 1, wherein saidring member, said V-shaped member, and said cross member are made ofelastic thread material.